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This program is to die for. We had a wonderful guide in Gilberth Molina, he is absolutly the most amazing person. He can call 200 birds with his voice alone, we saw some many endemic birds, as well as beautiful migrants. Our group was 7 and I believe that added to our experience. I highly recommend that if you are a birder, nature lover or just want to experience Costa Rica first hand that you consider this program.

Great trip, great companions, a very knowledgable and accommodating guide in Roger, as well as professional driving from Raffe. We enjoyed the different habitats, birds, flora and fauna in all five areas. A wonderful experience, thoroughly enjoyed. Shirley Getty, Al Ascott

Our group observed over 300 birds in our 11 day trip. Nearly all of these were seen by almost all of the group. It was the best birding experience of my life (to date!). The expertise of our guide Roger, with his amazing ears and eyes made the trip the success that it was. Yes, we saw the Resplendent Quetzal on this trip!

I loved every minute of this trip! Arriving at the first HotSpot, I thought THAT surely this is the Grand Finale...but the glorious settings, magnificent flora and fauna kept unfolding with each successive day. The excellent accommodations, the safe transport, and the lectures never disappointed. Our guide was delightful, caring, knowledgeable and devoted teacher. He worked tirelessly to be sure every single one of us had the BEST possible experience.

This was my second on this same program and, if possible, it was even better than the first time. The beauty of Costa Rica and its wonderful birds, other animals and flowers is not to be beaten. Our guide, Chito Molina, is a fantastic leader, who continues to impress me with his immense knowledge of birds, his charming manner with people and his infectious love of his country. All accommodations are great, the food is plentiful and delicious. It's a 5 star program for sure!

This birding trip was beyond my expectations, and the best trip of my life. It uncovered a passion in me for birding, and for Costa Rica as well. Our guide, Gilbreth, was the very best and taught us so much along the way. I'll probably do this tour again, and I highly recommend it.

This was the most wonderful birding trip I've ever been on. Our guide, Gilberth Molina, was the best guide I've ever seen. He not only knew all the birds, plants and animal, but could mimick the birds and on many occasions, he called them right in for us to see. He also knew all the plants, trees, birds, but would know the common name and scientific name and could spell them for you. A most talented guide, Road Scholar is very fortunate to have him.

If you love birds than this trip is a MUST for you. We had a terrific leader,Gilberth, and I would recommend him to anyone. The country is truly beautiful and the number of birds amazing. We saw 308 species in the various areas we birded. The bus trips from area to area were very special as Gilberth told us about the birds and people in that area and we often stopped to bird on the way. It also afforded us the chance to see much of the beauty of the country and the changes as we went from dry forest to wet forest to rain forest to seashore....extremely interesting! We had a very compatible group and I think they all felt the same. GREAT trip....go, you won't be disappointed!!!

We have just returned from Birding the Hot Spots of Costa Rica. This program was absolutely awesome in every way! We traveled to 5 different areas of the country, and we were able to document 308 species of birds--most of them were Life Birds for my husband and me. We had a group of 7 wonderful, welcoming, interesting, and fun people in our group. Our leader was Gilberth, and his knowledge of the birds, the plants, the areas, and the creatures who inhabit each one was truly amazing. We learned SO much and had such a wonderful time! The bus trips between lodges were a wonderful part of the experience because we were able to see many areas of the country, and we found new birds all along the way. This program was just so amazing and was life changing for me in its beauty and in my new learning.

This was our first Road Scholar trip and it was fabulous! Our guide was phenominal, not only in his birding skills, but in his ability to help all members of the group see the birds. We saw over 280 species. Our group consisted of some very experienced birders as well as some beginners, but everyone was able to see as much as they could. The lodges were all remote and beautiful, and the pace of each day was just right - lots of time for birding but also some down time in between. Our guide Fito was an expert in natural history as well as bird ID - and we learned a lot about CR from him. We loved the trip and are planning to take the other birding trip RS offers to CR to see the places we didn't get to.

Great adventure - marvelous birding, great diversity of habitat & spectacular views of endemic species & counryside. Roger is a phenomenal birder who knows how to locate species and shares his expertise & enthusiasm with the entire group. Not to be missed! Cathy Williamson

I really enjoyed our recent "Birding Hotspots of Costa Rica" trip. Besides seeing more birds than I ever imagined, we learned a great deal about Costa Rica and its environment. Leo was an excellent guide and Omar a very good, safe driver. The group was delightful as well. I look forward to another RoadScholar trip.

The trip was WONDERFUL! I had never birded in the tropics before and saw at least 250 life birds plus an additional 100 birds I had seen before. We had 11 people in our group plus the guide and bus driver. Everyone was congenial, punctual, and kind. The accommodations were all different and interesting. The food was good and plentiful. The boat rides were excellent and gave us unique views of the habitats. We also got plenty of exercise walking the trails. I would highly recommend this trip.

Wonderful program and experience! This may not be for "hard core" birders, but was great for anyone who has done some birding and is interested in expanding his/her exposure to tropical and migrant species. Our congenial group of 11 had 310 - 320 species for the 11 days. The diversity of both the birds and the sites visited is incredible. Costa Rica is a beautiful country; glad we were able to see as much of it as we did. (We flew down a few days early and saw some of the other sites before the program started.) Highly recommend!

Erick, the group leader, was outstanding. We saw over 300 species. His ability to find birds was unbelievable, even those that could barely be seen with binoculars. I'm sure he tired of our asking "HOW DID YOU SEE THAT?!?" In addition to finding them, he was able to identify the birds with limited visual information due to his extensive knowledge of calls, behavior, and habitat. Finally, he helped us all see nearly every bird, through the scope if possible. I have been birding for only 9 months and have often had trouble finding birds on other outings, but I saw 95% of these species. Erick has an infectious passion for the subject. And of course, the birds themselves were amazing.

This program exceeded my expectations. The guide made sure we got as much out of the program as we could. He searched for birds, made sure we all saw them and was extremely knowledgeable concerning all flora, fauna, the environment and history of the locations we visited. He was attentive to all of our needs and fostered group cohesion. We all had fun!

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The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!